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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23750950">Tangled In The Vines</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SykoShadowRose/pseuds/SykoShadowRose'>SykoShadowRose</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Wild Things [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Taiyang, Alpha clover, Alternate Universe- Fantasy, Anal Sex, And then have more the natural way, Angst, Bottom Qrow Branwen, Crow!Qrow, Dragon!Taiyang, F/M, Fluff, Interspecies Prejudice, Interspecies Relationship, Interspecies Sex, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mating Bites, Mating Bonds, Merman!Qrow, Mpreg, Non-Human Genitalia, Omega Qrow, Planned Parenthood, Planned Parenthood Gone Awry, Qrow and Clover adopt a tiny Baby, Shapeshifting, Size Difference, Tail Kink, Top Clover Ebi, alpha/beta/omega, mythical creatures, naga!Clover, non-human anatomy, siren!Qrow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:14:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,502</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23750950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SykoShadowRose/pseuds/SykoShadowRose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Qrow went to investigate Grimm sightings in the forest he wasn't surprised to see a destroyed village. Finding survivors was a nice change but he hadn't expected to be raising a child so soon. And what was he going to do with a puppy?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Implied Background James Ironwood/Glynda Goodwitch, Past Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long/Raven Branwen, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Wild Things [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708024</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Merfolk Underwater and Above</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tangled In The Vines</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Seriously, for those that don't know I was trying to finish chapter 2 of Ride the Drift with Me when this idea happened and I got distracted.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Qrow surveyed the area with a heavy heart. The little village in the forest had been completely destroyed, the former residents left torn and broken (what was left of them anyways) by the attacking Grimm. He didn’t know for sure which of the demonic creatures had been responsible but it was definitely one of the breeds with claws. Sighing in resignation he pulled out his scroll to update Oz on the attack. He wasn’t sure what Salem’s interest in the area could be but the old wizard might. Once he hung up the merman went about ensuring the dead were properly buried. He was doing one last look through to check that he’d gotten everyone when he heard a small noise. It took several minutes of searching, during which time the noise became more frequent and upset, before he found the source. Staring down at the only two survivors of the attack, the shifter scratched his head as he tried to decide what to do. Eventually he scooped the little ones up and scoured the remains of the village for anything and everything he may eventually need for the baby and puppy before he went to the clearing he’d landed in. </p><p>Now he had to think of a way to get the little things home with him safely with all of the supplies he was carrying. (His crow form would <i>never</i> be able to carry it all.) Running through his options, Qrow recalled the day he’d taught Yang to shift. He’d wondered back then if she’d taken mermaid form because she was mimicking his transformation or if it was because that was the blood she favored. With nothing to lose, Qrow decided to try taking siren form. Closing his eyes, he secured his grip and focused on the part of him he typically used to shift into a crow. It answered his call, rising up to try to change his form but instead of allowing it to take over he grappled it and channeled it in a different direction. He remembered what Raven’s transformation looked like and did his best to copy it on his own. It took time, longer than he liked, but eventually the power obeyed his will. </p><p>Qrow frowned as he looked over his shoulder at the large black wings (with red and silver streaks) bearing scale-like feathers on his back, then down at the similarly colored scaled bird legs. The scaling made sense to him- sirens were marine creatures and normal feathers didn’t fare well with water- but that didn’t mean they didn’t feel odd to him. (He’d have to see if Yang had a siren form too at some point.) Taking a moment to get used to his new body Qrow tested a few hopping flights. Once he was certain he could manage to fly back to Patch (the girls had wanted him and Clover to spend some time there, Ruby’s birthday was coming and the to-be ten year old was excited to have them home with her) he made sure his passengers would be safe and took off.</p><p>~</p><p>Clover followed Taiyang into the kitchen, carrying a few of the bags from their shopping trip. Pausing on the way long enough to glance down at the puppy that was curled up asleep on the couch. Tai sighed. It wasn’t the first time Qrow had found a pet left behind on a mission but he didn’t usually bring them home with him. He wondered what changed this time. The girls had run off to play in the yard as soon as they’d returned home so they weren’t present to see their uncle sitting cross-legged on the table. The man was leaning over his hands with a fierce look of concentration on his face, a small cup of milk, a burning candle, a 1/4th teaspoon, and an eyedropper on the table next to him. The two taller men shared a confused look and set the bags down to step closer, even more confused than they were by the puppy. Oddly the mer hadn’t even registered their presence yet, too focused on what he held. Once they were close enough to see what he was doing, Clover felt his jaw drop and heard Tai draw a sharp breath beside him.</p><p>Cradled in the palm of Qrow’s hand, being fed with the tiniest bottle either of them had ever seen was a baby fairy, smaller than the size of the man’s thumb. </p><p>It was no wonder that Qrow was so focused on the little one. The baby was so small, so fragile, that it would be too easy to hurt or kill the baby by accident. Large (relatively speaking) indigo eyes blinked up at them as the baby nursed at the bottle that the mer kept pinched between his thumb and forefinger (his hand had to be cramping but he didn’t show any sign of discomfort) and the little dark feathered wings wiggled in curiosity. Noticing the shift in attention Qrow looked up at them, finally realizing he wasn’t alone in the room anymore. </p><p>“Oh. Hey. When did you guys get here?” The hunter seemed a bit dazed, eyes dropping back to his hands before he’d finished the question. Like he was afraid something would happen if he took his eyes off the infant for more than a few seconds. Which given the size of the baby was a fair worry.</p><p>“Few minutes ago… Why do you have a tiny baby in your hand?” Tai knew that Qrow had experience with babies, he’d helped with both his nieces after all, but this baby was <i>just so fucking tiny</i>. Honestly Tai would be terrified to hold him. He was nervous to even get close.</p><p>“Umm… Well, I found a destroyed fairy village in that forest Oz sent me to scout and this was the only survivor. Well, him and the puppy anyways. Fairy villages are usually concealed or camouflaged so I don’t know where any are to take him there. I called Oz and he didn’t know any either.” Wine eyes glanced down at the tiny baby. The little one was done with his bottle so Qrow set it down and carefully rolled the baby over in his palm, angling his head up and using the tip of his middle finger from the other had to gently tap his back. He continued until he heard a few ridiculously quiet burps and was convinced all the air bubbles were out of the baby’s stomach. “I don’t think he’s a full-blood either. There was a full human sized house next to the village- that’s where the pup was and he was in the fairy house that was attached to it, so I think one of his parents lived there. Fairies don’t usually have this either.” He lightly ran a finger down the tailfeathers that were actually longer than the little legs.</p><p>“Do you have any idea what his name is?” Clover leaned closer to look more closely at the baby fairy. The little feathers were an iridescent black color, not unlike the ones on Qrow’s bird form. The tail feathers were particularly eye-catching, styled much like a peacock’s but with pale blue, white, and lavender “eyes” adorning it. The little face stared up at him and he wondered what it was like to be a baby fairy in a world full of giants.</p><p>“Seems to be Midnight. I raided what was left of the village for anything usable- not just the baby stuff but <i>everything</i> and in the house I found him in was this.” Qrow held up the miniscule pale blue baby bag on it that had “Midnight’s Baby Bag” embroidered in a deep navy thread. Now that they were looking they noticed the bag bulging with various miniature furniture, books, clothes, and other things that the baby might want or need as he grew up. Qrow picked up an itty-bitty pacifier to offer the infant. “The tag on the pup says Zwei by the way.”</p><p>“I’m gonna go tell the girls so they don’t scare him when they come in. They’re gonna wanna love on the pup too… You might lose him to them, just a heads up. They’ve been begging for a pet the last couple months.” Tai carefully reached out, offering a gentle smile as he lightly petted the tiny wings, bringing those little indigo eyes to him. He shook his head as he left the kitchen to find his daughters. Of all the things he expected Qrow to bring back from a mission a baby was not one of them. The puppy was more along the lines of what he’d expect from his brother. (He hadn’t expected Qrow to bring back a naga either but that had worked out for the better, hopefully this would too.)</p><p>Clover sat on the (sturdy) table next to his mate. Little Midnight was crawling across Qrow’s palm toward him. He lifted his own hand and flattened it next to his lover’s so that the baby could crawl over to him if he wanted. The pressure from Midnight’s weight was nearly non-existent, noticeable only by the tickle of his tail feathers dragging on his skin, and having the delicate life literally in the palm of his hand caused a surge of panic (what if he hurt him by accident!?)  before Qrow pressed into his side and nuzzled into his shoulder. The omega’s sweet scent calmed him and he was able to breathe properly as he looked down at the tiny being sitting in the center of his hand looking up at him expectantly. He gave a wide smile at the cuteness and lifted his other hand to gently pet the baby, laughing quietly when the tiny thing leaned into the touch. </p><p>“Hey pretty baby…” He cooed at the fairy. Indigo eyes closed in pleasure as Clover stroked along his wings, a nearly inaudible purr started up from the little body. Clover was pretty certain that the little fairy was going to be an omega when he grew up, which made all kinds of paternal panic try to fire off in his alpha brain. He was just so small and helpless.</p><p>Qrow chuckled and slid away, hopping off the table to leave the room. When he returned he was carrying a clothes basket with a small blanket covering the bottom. He returned to the table and bent over the bag of supplies to dig through it. Clover stopped what he was doing to watch as he pulled out various things and set them to the side. By the time he was done he’d set up a little “room” for Midnight to play in, with toys and other baby things from the village, a little crib in the corner in case the little one got tired. (The holes in the basket were big enough to see through but small enough that he couldn’t crawl through them.) The mer looked over at the baby and blinked in confusion before he stifled a laugh once he’d figured out what had happened. Clover looked down to see what was so funny and found himself the recipient of the most devastated look he’d ever received, the start of tears welling in the beautiful little eyes staring up at him.</p><p>“What’d I do?” There was a vague panic in his tone as he went over all his actions. <i>Oh shit!</i> He couldn’t think of anything that had happened to have upset the fairy. <i>Don’t let him cry, don’t let him cry!</i> The tiny blue pacifier was still in his mouth and he hadn’t hurt him to his knowledge. <i>Why was he sad and how did he fix it!?</i></p><p>“You stopped adoring him.” Qrow coughed into his hand, still trying not to laugh as a horrified realization flashed over Clover’s face.</p><p>“I am <i>so</i> sorry.” The naga started gently petting the little ruffled wings again, trying to smooth them back down. “You are the prettiest little baby in all of Remnant and we are going to make sure that you are taken care of and that you are loved the way you deserve to be loved okay?” </p><p>Qrow finally gave up his fight and muffled his laughter in a dish towel he snatched up from the counter as the barely there purring started back up. It was just too adorable to watch his big alpha continue to coo over the baby that he could probably close his fist around. Midnight had fallen over onto his side by now, curled up happily as Clover stroked down the feathers of his wings and tail. Smiling gently Qrow let them have a few moments before he stepped forward to reach for the little fairly. Qrow carefully picked Midnight up from the alpha’s hand (holding back another laugh at the way the tiny hands tried to cling to the naga) and set him down in the playroom next to some of the toys just as there was the sound of rushing footsteps behind him. He turned to see the wide eyes of both his nieces staring at him with barely suppressed excitement.</p><p>Smiling a little more widely, he helped them up onto chairs so they could see down into the basket. Ruby tried not to squeal at the baby, silver light flickering off of her as she tried to contain herself. Yang gave an awed “Oh!” as the fairy looked up at the both of them, tipping his head and holding one of the baby blocks he’d picked up, still not entirely happy that he’d been taken away from the petting and love he’d been getting. Tai hovered over them, a hand on each of their backs as a silent reminder to stay calm and not overwhelm the tiny being. Zwei was awake (probably from the girls) and was running circles around the blond man’s legs, stubby tail wagging wildly.</p><p>Qrow picked up one of the tiny books he’d set to the side and opened it, squinting to read the tiny writing of the baby book he’d found with the infant. With difficulty he managed to make out the birthdate and calculate how old the fairy was. He closed it and set it back down. He’d read more later, when he had a magnifying glass. “Seems like he’s about six months, two weeks and four days old if I’m reading this right.”</p><p>“You and Clover are gonna be his new parents right?” Silver eyes stared hard at them, like she was daring them to say no. Zwei turned and barked at them as if he were backing her up. Traitor. This is the thanks he got for saving him?</p><p>“Uhh…”</p><p>“Umm…”</p><p>“Ruby,” Tai thumped his daughter gently on the head, “we don’t know that Midnight doesn’t have other relatives out there. First we need to make sure-”</p><p>“He doesn’t. And he’s already bonded to Uncle Qrow. He’s starting to bond to Uncle Clover too.” There was a glow in her eyes as she made the statement, voice brooking absolutely no questions. Summer had done that sometimes too. Simply known something as fact with no reason. It had been a bit unsettling coming from an adult. From a child it was slightly scary. The adults shared a look, knowing the underlying meaning behind what she was saying.</p><p>“We’ll talk about it tomorrow, kiddo. Today we just need to make sure he’s going to be okay.” Even as he said the words he knew they’d end up keeping the baby. Losing his parents, his family, <i>his entire village</i> would have been damaging enough and Qrow had wondered how the little one had taken it so well. Now he knew it was because Midnight had bonded to him when he’d found the fairy. Breaking that bond would cause all kinds of damage that he didn’t want to think about. (Though he worried about how quickly he’d bonded to them- it didn’t bode well for his childhood so far, short as it was.)</p><p>~</p><p>It had taken a table stand magnifying glass, two tweezers, a lot of patience and even more skill to change the baby’s clothes and diaper but it was finally done. Qrow set Midnight in the second tiny cradle he’d dug out of the bag (he’d grabbed several just in case they’d accidently broken one) to place on the nightstand next to the bed, using a pinkie to tuck him in with the soft black stuffed kitten that had been in the baby bag. He tapped the mobile to start it and gently rocked the crib until the drowsy baby fell asleep. </p><p>Qrow climbed into bed and straddled Clover, folding his arms on his chest and laying down with his chin resting on them. “So… Do we continue with the previous plan to give the girls a cousin or cancel them to focus on this one?” </p><p>“We’ve put a lot of time and effort into making sure your heat and my rut would be synced. It seems a bit of a waste to ruin it, especially this close to our cycle. But can we handle a pregnancy and a baby at the same time?” Clover rested his hands on Qrow’s hips, his thumbs rubbing circles where they rested. </p><p>Qrow tipped his head to stare at the cradle, thinking it through fully before answering. “Yea. I think we can. And it might be good for Midnight to have a sibling to bond with that’s close to his age. It helped Yang to have Ruby when Raven left…” He remembered how wild Yang had been after Raven’s abandonment, the bonds to the three of them not negating the feeling of the broken one with her mother. It hadn’t been until Ruby’s birth and the formation of the new bond that she’d started calming down again. Becoming the happy, energetic child they remembered her being.</p><p>“Hmmm… Think Tai will be willing to babysit in a week or so when we sync?” It would be the best solution- the girls had already emptied one of the spare rooms and dragged one of their doll houses into it to start setting up for the fairy. They insisted that they needed to go out and buy other things that would be similar in scale so that the baby would have a space in the house that was all for him (and them). It was adorable and Clover loved them all the more for the way they had taken to the orphan as a true member of the family even if the final decision wasn’t technically made. They all knew Midnight was going to be staying with them just like Zwei. (To his knowledge the dog was currently curled up in Ruby’s bed fast asleep with the small girl.) </p><p>“I’ll recruit the girls. They’ll get him to do it whether he wants to or not.” He didn’t even question why none of Clover’s relatives were brought up. The very idea of the tiny fairy baby being in a lair filled with the large nagas was terrifying. Too many chances for accidents to happen with that many people around, especially considering that Midnight was smaller than the size of Qrow’s thumb and <i>he</i> was nearly half the size of the nagas. “We can talk more in the morning. It’s been a hel- heck of a day.” He grimaced as he caught himself on the word, changing direction before he finished. Sighing he dipped down to kiss his mate, soft and sweet and loving, before sliding to the side and curling up facing the cradle. Clover curled behind him, spooning him from behind and placing another gentle kiss to the back of his neck before they fell asleep.</p><p>~</p><p>Holding the squirming baby carefully in one fist Clover scowled as he tried to brush the silky black hair with the baby brush from the supply bag. Midnight was not pleased that he wasn’t allowed to play yet and kept giving him the dirtiest look he’d ever seen on a baby (and he had several nieces and nephews, so there had been no shortage of them) while he tried to escape the alpha and get to his playroom that was <i>right there</i> next to them. Holding the brush was a struggle on it’s own, add that to holding the fairy still without hurting him and he was nearly ready to give up and just put him in the basket. On the other side of the table Qrow was holding the 1/4th teaspoon with milk over a candle flame to warm it up, occasionally using the eyedropper to test the temperature on his inner wrist. Once it was adequately warmed he used the eyedropper to fill the tiny bottle and focused on closing it without spilling. </p><p>Clover handed the pouting infant over to the omega and Qrow frowned as he fought to keep the baby from darting off to play. He finally managed to get the bottle in Midnight’s mouth and the baby stopped trying to get away once he realized how hungry he was. Still, indigo eyes kept darting over to all his new and fun toys as he sucked down the bottle, worrying the omega that he was going to upset his stomach with how fast he was eating so he could play. Impatient little bugger. (Not that he was one to talk, he regularly rushed Clover through prepping so that they could get to the really fun part.) Qrow made a mental note to keep the playroom out of site until after they were done taking care of Midnight in the future. (Just like how Clover had learned a few tricks to keep him busy while he worked. And he really should be thinking of other things before his scent changed and his mate caught on to his thoughts.)</p><p>After being fed and burped the little baby was set free in his playroom, crawling over to where Qrow had found some plastic little baby books and picking one up to look through and gnaw on. The mer watched for a moment before digging through the bag to see if he’d managed to grab any teething toys (he was fairly sure he had). He could hear shuffling in the other room as the girls set up Midnight’s room (with Tai’s close supervision) for him to play in with them. They had somehow convinced the dragon to get some small flowers and a patch of moss for him to crawl in (they decided grass would be too much hassle) so that he could still experience the “outdoors” without the danger of actually being outside. Qrow only recognized the forget-me-nots, baby’s breath and violets out of all the colorful flowers that had been brought inside. </p><p>It was unbelievably sweet of them and if he had had any doubts or thoughts of turning Midnight over to someone else to raise, they would have been demolished by the two’s enthusiasm and obvious love for the baby they already considered their cousin. He could tell by the scale that everything was going to be slightly too big (the fairy houses had been smaller than the doll house) but it was definitely closer to his size than anything they had and it was a kind gesture that they were trying to adapt to him so fast. (It wasn’t only the girls either. Tai had already gotten some wood and started making blueprints to make a smaller house when Qrow had mentioned the slight size difference between the doll house and the fairy houses. Qrow had seen them before the girls had woken up. He wouldn’t be surprised if the dragon had flown out to the destroyed village to get a look first hand at the architecture for reference during the night while the rest of them had been sleeping.) </p><p>At least it seemed like he wouldn’t need the girls help to get Tai to babysit for them. (He was still going to get them alone later and explain what he needed them to help with just in case.) They would need to change their plans slightly now that they had a baby to look after though. The original plan had been to return to their island home a few days before their cycle was expected. While it made him slightly uncomfortable to think about, they were going to need to stick close to the house. He just hoped Tai made sure the girls knew not to come to the lake while they were busy.</p><p>~</p><p>“<i>Ngh!</i>” Qrow bit at Clover shoulder trying to grind up against the naga (gods, he could feel the ridges and they were amazing even if they weren’t in him where they belonged) and entice him to hurry things up a bit. They had retreated to Qrow’s home in the lake at the first signs of his heat. (Midnight being lovingly watched over by his cousins and his slightly reluctant uncle. Tai was scared he’d hurt the baby with his size or strength so the girls were doing most of the handling with him watching over them.) Unfortunately (for Qrow) Clover’s rut hadn’t quite started yet (it was getting close though, he could feel it) and the alpha still had complete control over himself as he pinned his mate down. He shifted a bit, placing both of Qrow’s wrists in one hand over his head while the other dropped to hold his waist still, the grip of his tail lifting up a bit so that he could get the end of it under his lover. Qrow keened when he felt the tip teasing his slickening entrance, mind flashing back to the only other time he’d felt Clover use his tail inside him.</p><p>Clover carefully twisted the end of his tail into Qrow, watching as the mer tried to arch back into the slight touch. He held him more tightly, sliding the coil around Qrow’s tail a bit higher up so that he couldn’t use it to move and dropping the hand on his waist down to his hip. Keeping close watch on Qrow’s reactions he slowly and gently started to cork-screw the end of his tail inside of his omega, easing him open as he pushed further into the tight passage. Qrow wailed, thrashing in his grip as he tried to do something, <i>anything</i> to get the naga to give him more as the coil inside him grew larger. The brunette refused to budge though, staying at the same steady pace, tightly coiling more and more of his tail inside of the raven, watching for any sign that it was too much, too deep. No sign ever came but Clover stopped his advance, not wanting to hurt Qrow, and curled the tip back down, seeking the one spot that would drive Qrow over the edge.</p><p>“<i>Aaaahhh!</i>” Qrow threw his head back when Clover found what he was looking for, made more sensitive by the mating drive that was rampaging through his body. Growling lowly (his rut was starting to creep into his blood, the fever was already starting to haze his thoughts) the alpha pressed harder into the spot, curling the end around the inflamed nub and <i>squeezing</i> pulling an outright scream from his mate. Qrow’s back bending sharply as he released between them, almost managing to break Clover’s hold on his hip. The naga’s tongue flicked out to taste the sweet flavor of his mate in the water, savoring it as he ground down into the smaller body. A shiver passed through him when Qrow’s tail flipped up, the fin at the end dragging along his back in a sweet caress.</p><p>
  <i>Why hadn’t he done this before?</i>
</p><p>It occurred to him that the only other time he’d used his tail in such a manner (ever) was the first time he and Qrow had been together. He’d have to change that in the future if it drew reactions like that from the mer. He purred at Qrow, leaning down to nip at his neck while gently sliding the tip of his tail over the same spot he’d been tormenting, going easy on the omega (already hardening again) but not letting up entirely. He nibbled his way down his whimpering mate’s chest, making his way down to bite and suck at his pebbled nipples. “<i>Clover, <b>please</b>!</i>” </p><p>Bright, fevered red eyes stared up at him, wide and begging. A shudder wracked Clover’s body as the need hit him full force and he drew his tail free. Qrow twisted and mewled, trying to clamp down and keep Clover inside of him. It was a losing battle and he whined once the naga had left him, feeling far too empty. “<i>Need you… Please! Nngh!</i>” Clover covered the small mer with his own larger body, pressing in with the same steady pace he’d always used. No matter how far they were in their mating cycle, Clover would never, <i>ever</i> risk hurting Qrow by rushing more than he could take. “<i>Ah!</i>” The first ridge slid past Qrow’s rim, causing his sensitive mate to spasm around him. He growled, pausing to regain control before he resumed. “<i>Ha! Ah!</i>” Qrow panted, crying out and convulsing with each ridge that entered him. Gods, the heat made everything so much more intense, he felt like he was going to burn from the inside out. Clover’s scent filled the water, the familiar apples and cinnamon and spice filling him and sparking fire in his chest with every breath. He let out a moan of relief at having his mate inside of him, filling the emptiness that had been left behind by his tail.</p><p>“<i>Fuck! Qrow!</i>” The omega felt so much tighter and hotter than before (an illusion caused by their heat and rut, he knew nothing had really changed) and the alpha changed his grip again, releasing Qrow’s hip. His free hand slid up under the mer’s back, his forearm aligning with the other’s spine as he gripped the back of Qrow’s neck, forcing his back to arch up into him while he dove down to capture the full pink lips. Some distant, quiet part of his mind registered the feel of Qrow’s back fin brushing against the scales of his arm and he hoped he wasn’t crushing the delicate thing. Finally he felt scales against scales (the same but still so different), buried as deep as he could be in his mate. He twisted his hips, breaking the kiss so they could both moan.</p><p>They were both far too eager for slow, so Clover didn’t even try to tease his mate, pulling out and slamming back in without even stopping for breath. Purring in encouragement, Clover kissed his mate again, feeling the smaller body fight to keep him from retreating every time he withdrew. Using the grip on the back of Qrow’s neck in combination with his tail twisted around the mer’s he tipped the other to just the right angle, letting out a pleased hum when the mer pulled away to scream. The naga nuzzled down to the pale neck, lips seeking the mating bite and fangs preparing to renew it, his hindbrain taking over with the knowledge that the action would increase the chances of having a child. <i>(Not yet though. It wasn’t time yet.)</i></p><p>He continued to work them both deeper into the fever as every thrust forced a cry from Qrow’s lips directly into his ear. He felt the moment Qrow’s hindbrain took over for the bite, the mouth that had been near his ear dropping to his jaw and lowering to the mating bite he’d left there. <i>(Soon.)</i> Clover could feel his knot starting to swell, catching on the ebony mer’s rim each time. His lover was trembling constantly, mewling against his neck as he waited for just the right moment. <i>(Just a little more.)</i> The naga flicked his tail up, tracing the edge of Qrow’s sensitive entrance with the tip. Crimson eyes went wide and he wailed (the very idea of what was implied sending him over), clamping down hard on the length inside him and striking out to sink his teeth into the mark. Hissing in triumph, Clover forced his knot into the small omega, locking them together and digging his own fangs into his bite. <i>(Finally.)</i></p><p>Qrow purred under him as he was filled, brushing his tailfin along the lines of Clover’s body since his hands were still trapped. His breath caught in his throat when the alpha rotated his hips, grinding in as deep as he could and keeping them both on the high of release. The hand on his hip shifted, allowing the thumb to brush the edge of his slit before his cock could fully recede back inside. He could taste himself filling the water, cloying and overwhelming against Clover’s spice. He whined faintly, not liking that he couldn’t taste his mate clearly. (If his mind were clear he’d realize it was because everything was trapped inside him.) The naga kissed him softly to soothe the bit of distress, not stilling his motions as he worked them back up. They had a couple hours before the cycle let up enough for them to tend to their other needs. He intended to make the most of that time.</p><p>~</p><p><i><b>“BABIES!”</b></i> Qrow flushed darkly as Ruby threw herself at him, dong her absolute best to wrap around his abdomen. </p><p>Wait…</p><p>“Come again?” He tipped her head back to look her in the eyes. “<i>Babies</i>?”</p><p>“Twins! Boys. Alpha and omega.” She wiggled around excitedly, still holding on as Tai and Yang walked up behind her. Qrow felt Clover go still behind him, a buzz of shock zinging over their bond. Yang came up beside her sister and was staring at his stomach intently, like she was trying to see what Ruby was talking about, carefully holding a napping Midnight in a little basket.</p><p>He shot his brother a helpless look, turning it to his mate to see almost the same expression. The blond blinked, shrugged and spread his arms artfully, gesturing to Qrow in a grandois fashion with a bow. “Adult.”</p><p>Scowling fiercely the raven curled an arm behind Ruby’s head to hold her face against him and used the hand of the same arm to cover Yang’s arm so he could flip the dragon off. Clover choked on a laugh, only understanding half the exchange but still finding amusement in it. The girls squirmed free, looking up at him curiously. Qrow waved it off and took the basket from his eldest nieces, asking them how things had been while they were away. The two immediately started in on a tale about Midnight playing in the mini-garden they’d made for him in the room. </p><p>~</p><p>Qrow adjusted the straps of the strange pouch his nieces had made for him to carry Midnight in. It was a thoughtful gift (even if he didn’t know how or when they’d made it, they’d only had him a few weeks and most of that time had been spent on making Midnight’s room) but he wasn’t sure about it yet. He and Clover had talked about something similar but they had been talking about one that would go around their waists. The girls had designed one that rested over their hearts, the largest strap angling from one shoulder to under arm of the opposite side and a second one from the main support to over the other shoulder. The space for Midnight rested on the cross of the two straps and was solid enough that it wouldn’t collapse but flexible enough that he wouldn’t be hurt by it as well as netted so that water could pass through it. (Qrow had kissed him with the ability to breathe underwater, same as he had for Ruby when she was a baby. No one in his family was going to ever be at risk of drowning if he had anything to say about it. And he damn well did.) </p><p>He was nervous about visiting Clover’s family but they were anxious to meet the newest addition to the family and he couldn’t blame them for it. (It’d been months after they’d mated before Qrow had been introduced to them and months after that for Tai and the girls to finally meet them. Clover’s mother had been able to helpfully inform them that while Ruby probably did have angel blood in her based on some of her abilities, the silver eyes and light were a sign of valkyrie blood.) So he was fitting on the travel pouch and tucking the little fairy inside while Clover carried the bag with the portable playroom, bathroom, and bedroom for Midnight (their own version of the baby bag) while preparing to head out for the swim to the nagas’ home island. He only hoped the baby would be comfortable for the trip to their home, where they would be spending the night before continuing to the Ebi Clan’s lair.</p><p>Clover had already warned his side of the family that they would have to keep their usual excitement and boisterous behavior kept to a minimum due to the size of their son. (Holy shit! They had a son! They were fucking parents! With twins on the way!) He’d also threatened that they would leave immediately if they for any reason felt that Midnight was uncomfortable or in danger (even if accidently). All of the nagas had promised to stay calm and behave, even the youngest ones. (Eight years old and still larger than Yang or Ruby. Why did his mate’s species have to be so big?) Still, he was anxious about taking their tiny baby into the big world and probably would have been happy to continue living in the room the girls (and Tai) had set up for Midnight for… oh, maybe three to five more years. Possibly ten.</p><p>Sadly that wasn’t an option, so he went over everything once more, making sure it was all in place and secure. Midnight looked up from the little net room he was in, seeming to be comfortable enough. He had his tiny pacifier, a water friendly blanket and stuffed toy, a bottle, and a plastic baby book to keep him occupied for the trip. They may still need to stop along the way (he couldn’t exactly change his own diaper if he needed it) but at least the baby had everything he might need in easy reach. Sighing, and repeating to himself that this was necessary the mer finally slid into the water with the naga. The Ebis were Midnight’s family too, they deserved to meet him as much as his own family did. </p><p>He would have preferred to set up a space for Midnight on their own island home and let the nagas come to them but that had several problems attached to it, the most notable one being the sheer number of relatives that wanted to meet the infant, who had taken offense at being made to take turns coming to see him. </p><p>“Your family is great but they are a pain to deal with.” He grumbled to his lover as they swam, keeping an eye out for threats while still making sure that Midnight was handling the trip well.</p><p>“I know love.” Clover sighed, truly agreeing with the assessment. That was one of the reasons he’d moved out after all. He liked Qrow’s idea of making his family come to their home in small groups and would have started with his parents to see how their son coped but when he’d voiced the possibility his siblings had worked up a frenzy at not being invited along with. And once it got around why they were upset he’d had non-stop calls from aunts and uncles followed by cousins about favoritism among the family. He’d gotten such a migraine from dealing with it that he’d curled up in the tightest coils he could manage at the bottom of their lake, burying himself under his own tail to escape everything. </p><p>He had finally been coaxed out of it by tiny (<i>tiny</i>) hands tapping his nose. Qrow had sent their son to crawl down into the coils of green scaled muscle to find him and check on him, as he’d been unable to do so himself. When he’d finally unwound his body, he found his omega fretting quietly a few feet away in the sand, fins fluttering anxiously around him. They’d talked everything out and while they had caved to his family’s demands, they had decided on the rules they would set for the family to follow and warned what would happen if they didn’t. A forced compromise at best but it was enough for them. Hopefully everything would go well and they could figure out what to do for the future children.</p><p>~</p><p>They hadn’t even fully entered the lagoon that housed the entrances to the Ebis’ tunneld when they were greeted by a pale scaled nagi. Even from a distance Qrow could recognize the white and pale pink pattern as Clover’s mother Rosie. Somehow he wasn’t surprised the female hadn’t been able to wait until they were inside to meet her newest grandson. Actually he was rather surprised to see her as the only one waiting for them outside. She swam right up to them, heading straight for Qrow, pale pink eyes locked onto the baby pouch. Her waist length white streaked honey hair drifted in the current, catching the baby’s attention with the constant motion.</p><p>“Hello beautiful.” She cooed, waving her fingers at the infant. The baby placed a hand against the mesh and gave a chrup of greeting back at the giant that looked like his dad, but with different colors. She looked up at the two with a soft smile. “I had everyone else stay in the lair, I know they pressured you into bringing him here, so I wanted to make sure he was going to be okay. It seems so far that he is but I’m just one extra body.” She pressed a quick kiss to Qrow and Clover’s cheeks, turning around to lead the way. “We’ve set up in one of the dry caverns since we weren’t sure how comfortable he would be underwater.”</p><p>~</p><p>Clover kept near his mate while he shared the good news about the pregnancy with his parents and other gathered family, watching to make sure both him and their son were comfortable. The naga’s tail was curled protectively around them, flicking up anytime more than the approved number approached. While Midnight hadn’t minded two or three of the nagas over him, more of the beings started to become overwhelming to the tiny fairy. The big people kept coming up to his playroom and looking down at him, cooing and some reaching out to pet him. He enjoyed the attention but there were so many of the big people around him. It was a little scary. Thankfully his dad kept too many from getting too close and his mom stayed right next to his room, so it wasn’t too bad. It was a shame all of them were too big to play with…</p><p>Qrow bit back a few biting remarks as the nagas continued to assault him with questions (some way too personal and invasive in his opinion) about his relationship with Clover and the children they were now expecting. (His scent hadn’t changed much yet but they were perceptive and word got around fast in the lair.) Clover’s eldest sister, Jasmine, kept close to him and had hissed at a few of the more prying members who didn’t know how to back off. He was grateful to her help (turned out being an alpha was not what made Clover so much larger than him) and made a mental note to do something special for her as thanks. (He wasn’t sure what but he’d figure something out…) </p><p>Still, even with her and Clover helping out he kept close tabs on his baby, watching for any sign that it was too much or that he was tired and ready to go home. (They’d already decided that they would not be staying the night. Honestly Qrow himself was often overwhelmed with the sheer number and size of his mate’s family and just couldn’t handle it for extended periods.) The tiny fairy handled the attention well until one of Clover’s aunts tried to pick him up. Midnight was not okay with that but before he had done more than start to whimper his growling dad had a hand wrapped tightly around her wrist and his hissing mom was pulling him from her grasp. </p><p>“Rosie held him!”</p><p>“We gave him the option to crawl to her! He had a choice!”</p><p>The fairy curled up fearfully while his dad and the female yelled. There used to be angry voices all the time but not since his mom had found him. He didn’t like it, wasn’t used to it any more and whimpered unhappily, hiding in his wings within the safety of his mom’s hands. Qrow’s crimson eyes snapped up from checking over his son. “<i><b>Enough!</b></i>” He held the baby close, using his other hand to gather their things. “You’ve upset him and we are leaving. Now.”</p><p>There were protests from family members who hadn’t yet had the chance to see Midnight but Qrow ignored them and continued his task, trusting his mate to keep his family at bay. Rosie and Cedar had joined Jasmine in helping Clover, so he was surrounded by protective nagas on all sides. Clover’s parents saw them out to the lagoon while his sister kept everyone else from following. Before Qrow put Midnight in the mesh pouch he gave him the chance to crawl over to his grandmother again. After a few moments of looking around to make sure he was safe, he made his way over to the pink and white scaled hands of the nice female who petted and kissed and loved him earlier. </p><p>Rosie cupped the infant in her hands as she kissed him good-bye, disappointed and angry at her sister for cutting the visit short but refusing to let it sour her mood too much. (Daisy had always been spoiled by their parents growing up and was used to getting her way, it was about time she learned she couldn’t always have what she wanted.) Beside her, her husband was hugging their sons. She was so proud of her youngest son. He’d been alone on that island for years, she’d begun to worry he’d always be alone. Now he had a loving mate with an equally loving family and an adorable baby with more on the way. The nagi was so excited! (She didn’t necessarily have a favorite child, it wouldn’t be fair to the others, but Clover was the only one to leave the lair to make his own home on a separate island and she admitted to worrying about him more because of it.) She gently pet the little wings one last time as she handed him back to Qrow for carrying, making promises to come visit soon. She watched them go, leaning against Cedar as they shrank in the distance. She just wished she could keep all her family close and safe.</p><p>~</p><p>Qrow bit his lip, using the tip of his pinkie to help keep the baby upright. The tiny face was pinched in concentration as the little wings fluttered for balance. After tottering for a few precious seconds the fairy took a set forward, away from Qrow’s support. His tail flared out to compensate, arms waving as he fought to keep his balance. A few more seconds passed before he took another precarious step, then another, and another. Finally the infant made the journey from one hand to the other, stumbling to fall against the waiting finger of the other hand. Midnight giggled and wiggled about while Qrow petted him, smiling proudly at the seven month old’s accomplishment. </p><p>He was a touch concerned though. Yang and Ruby had both been much older when they started walking and while everyone was different, the fact that he was learning so young made him wonder if it was because his parents hadn’t given him the proper attention when he was born. He hoped that wasn’t the case but he hadn’t had time to go over all the books to see if there was a dairy or anything that may give him any insight into the baby’s life before the destruction of the village. He felt something hitting his hand and looked down to see sadness. The fairy having been patting his finger to get his attention. His omega instincts reared up in response to the upset baby. He knew better than to stop adoring him without reason. He resumed petting the black feathers.</p><p>“Sorry baby. You did so good. Wanna practice some more so you can surprise your cousins and uncle when we go visit in a few days?” Midnight squeaked and chirped a few sounds (maybe one of his parents had been avian or bird based?) and waddled around to walk back to the other hand. Qrow grinned with pride. By the time they made it back to Patch he had no doubt Midnight would be running all over the place. (It was going to be hell but he wouldn’t have it any other way.)</p><p>~</p><p>Clover finished setting the final piece of furniture down and looked around the room. He’d never thought he’d leave his island but Taiyang had surprised them by building them a house on the lake opposite of where he lived with his daughters. Close enough to be there if they needed each other but far enough away that they didn’t feel crowded. He knew part of it was the pregnancy (Qrow was about a month and a half along, which was apparently plenty of time for the dragon to build apparently) but he also knew it would have taken longer than that to design <i>and</i> build the place (he knew from Midnight that Tai did his own drafting), which meant he’d been at this longer than they knew.</p><p>The naga felt his heart squeeze in his chest as he looked around. There were tiny touches here and there that he knew had to be from the girls. A small bouquet of flowers were in a cup on the kitchen counter. Pillows were tossed in a corner in the living room. There were crayon drawings already posted to the fridge with all of them together smiling. Even Zwei was in the picture. Clover paused to take a deep breath and settle himself. His family loved each other and would always be there when one of them were in need but there was a distance between some of them due to being such a large group. Qrow’s family was so small, so tight knit, that it was sometimes overwhelming in all the best ways. He just needed a minute to gather himself now and then.</p><p>Calm again, the brunette picked up the box of fairy supplies and walked over to what was obviously one of the additions after Midnight. A counter, almost like a tiny balcony, was in each room with a fence that could be built up higher or lowered with the pieces provided. He organized the baby things for this room, stowing anything else they may need in the cabinets underneath. The living room had a whole portion of the room dedicated to the fairy, basically a version of Midnight’s room at Tai’s house but on a table. He noted the book of instruction on how to properly care for the plants and smiled. </p><p>Standing in the middle of the room, looking around at everything, Clover had never felt more at home, even if he’d only been inside for a few hours at most. They were going to have a family here. It would be beautiful.</p><p>~</p><p>Qrow walked the halls of the castle, heading directly for Oz’s office. He didn’t know why he’d been summoned (the immortal wizard knew he was pregnant and wasn’t taking missions, he was starting to show now, though you had to be looking to see it, any mythic could certainly scent it) except that it was an urgent matter that he needed to be present for. He slowed when he passed through the double doors and found Ozpin at his desk facing a small entourage of… fairies. Red eyes, looked them over curiously as he came closer, finally shifting to the wizard in question as he came to the desk.</p><p>“Qrow, thank you for coming.” Oz stood to greet him warmly, but there was a tenseness he was failing to hide that set the mer on edge. He wondered if the fairies would be able to tell. “These ladies and gentlemen came to me a few days ago when they discovered the remains of the village. They wanted to know any information about what had happened to the people and of cour-”</p><p>“Where is the baby?” The tall (for a fairy) woman at the front demanded, looking up at him but somehow giving the impression that she was looking down her nose at him at the same time. Quite a feat, though he wasn’t inclined to feel impressed by it. She had short, curly, deep brown hair and slanted, narrow orange eyes with a button nose. The fairy could have been pretty, if her face didn’t seem to be stuck in a sneer.</p><p>“He’s at home. Safe with his father.” Qrow’s eyes narrowed down at her, already not liking where this was going and realizing why Ozpin had been so tense about this meeting. If this was going to go the way he thought then it was then it no wonder he hadn’t been told the subject beforehand.</p><p>“Impossible! His parents are dead! <i>You</i> buried them, or so we’ve been told.” The man to her side snapped. Deep blue hair was short and slicked back, his grey eyes glaring up at him like he’d committed some offense against them. </p><p>“Family isn’t always blood.” He drawled dryly, shifting closer to get a better look at the group and identify their scents. He had the feeling he’d need to know the information later. “He bonded with me and my mate. We’ve taken him in and are raising him. So,” he leaned over slightly, “<i>our son</i> is at home with his father, <b>where he belongs</b>.”</p><p>“You are raising him?” There was that sneer again. Qrow was so tempted to slap it off her face, even if slapping her would send her flying into a wall and possibly crush every bone in her body. At this point he felt like she was going to earn it. “And how exactly are you managing that? You know nothing of our kind! You probably can’t even properly feed him let alone care for him! I demand that he be turned over to his own people to be raised the right way!”</p><p>“Now just a moment Miss Delilah. Qrow is correct about Midnight having bonded to him and Clover. Breaking that parental bond would be damaging to him in ways that may never be healed.” Ozpin placed a calming hand on Qrow shoulder to hold the omega back. The fairies were walking a thin line, and if any of them bothered to use their noses, they’d realize it. (One seemed to, a female at the back of the group who had seemed more concerned with knowing the baby was being properly cared for than worrying who was doing the caring. She was subtly stepping back from the rest of the group, obviously understanding what they didn’t.)</p><p>“You have no right to dictate to us how to take care of our people! That baby should be with fairies who can actually take care of him! Not these hulking brutes that can’t even hold him! If you won’t hand him over we will take him ourselves if we have to!” </p><p>Qrow had had enough. He pushed past the wizard, breaking free of the weak restraint (Oz hadn’t actually tried to hold him back, it was more a nonverbal request to stay calm than anything) and leaned over the desk, shifting as he did. By the time he was facing the fairies he had fully taken his siren form, deadly razor talons digging into the wood on either side of them, and bared sharp pointed teeth at them. “Listen here <i>Delilah</i>, you dare to even <i><b>think</b></i> of taking my son away from me and I <i>will</i> hunt you down. I <i>will</i> rip the wings from your back and any one else who tries to keep me away from him. And I <i>will</i> eat you after I have ensure he is safely returned to our family <i><b>where he belongs!</b> Am I clear?</i>”</p><p>The group of fairies stared at him, wide eyed, pale and trembling with fear but absolutely silent. Unacceptable. He snarled at them lifting one hand to put a claw to her neck. “<i><b>Am. I. Clear?</b></i>”</p><p>“Clear! Crystal clear! Absolutely!” The fairy shook, blinking back tears and fighting to hold still. She knew without a doubt, that the male (omega, a pregnant omega) would rip out her throat if she didn’t give him the answer he demanded of her. (Oh gods, she’d threatened to take a pregnant omega’s baby away, please don’t let him take it out on her village! Delilah didn’t doubt that the siren would find them, didn’t doubt that he would follow through on his threat, his promise. Sirens were predators, merciless ones. She prayed that he would only do so if they actually tried to take the baby. Which they wouldn’t.)</p><p>Satisfied with the answer, Qrow straightened up, shifting back to human form. (He hadn’t realized the siren form would come in so useful.) Pushing his hair back out of his face, he glared down at the fairies, daring them (any of them) to change their minds or challenge him again. None did. He turned back to the wizard, noting a few traces of exasperation under the masked amusement. Not that the wizard didn’t believe every word Qrow spoke- he was amused that the fairies thought they could take the baby after nearly five months of not even knowing the village was destroyed. And from a pregnant omega too. (Were they all fools?) They should be grateful he hadn’t told Qrow why he was calling. If he had then they would have been faced with an equally angry naga (and his family), two dragons and a valkyrie as well as a cŵn annwn hybrid. </p><p>Qrow stalked passed the master of the castle, giving only a brief nod of parting, and went to the nearest balcony to take flight as a crow. His instincts were screaming at him to eliminate the threat to his family and to ensure they were safe. Since he had (essentially) taken care of the first part (as long as the fairies were smart enough to realize he was completely serious and would do what he said) it was time to take care of the second. Wings catching the wind, Qrow soared high into the air, racing home as fast as his wings could carry him. (He could probably fly faster as a siren but if he did that he was sure he’d kill them. The crow had no such thoughts, he only wanted to go home to his nest. Though he did notice James and Glynda walking along the walls of the castle together before he was out of sight, if he’d been calmer he’d have spied on them out of curiosity.)</p><p>~</p><p>“<i><b>They what?</b></i>” Tai’s form wavered, making Qrow glad that he’d insisted they go for a walk outside for this conversation. Clover had been napping with Midnight when he’d made it back to Patch, the green tail curled around the basket that the fairy had decided to sleep in.</p><p>“Apparently Clover and I are incapable of caring for him properly because we are hulking brutes.” Qrow shook his head in disgust. Seriously, how dare they say he couldn’t take care of the fairy? It had taken them far too long to even realize that the village had been destroyed for them to even make such an accusation fairly.</p><p>“They do realize that you’ve had him for, like about <i>five months</i> by now, right? If you couldn’t take care of him then he’d be dead.” Tai forced himself to stay in human form, though he could feel the dragon trying to get free to protect the members of his flight.</p><p>“I didn’t even bother debating or arguing- I just went straight to threats.”</p><p>“Very adult of you.”</p><p>“Shut up Tai. You would have eaten them.”</p><p>“Fair enough.” And if any of the fairies showed up to try to take Midnight he still would. Unless Qrow got to them first… He was kind of hoping Qrow told Clover about this while he was around. He wanted to see what the naga looked like when he flipped his shit. </p><p>~</p><p>Qrow snarled at the fairy, who calmly lifted both hands in surrender and kept back from him. “My name is Cerise. I’m here to offer help, not to threaten or take.”</p><p>Qrow eyed her warily, finally gesturing for her to come sit on the railing of the porch. He recognized her from Oz’s office, she’d been at the back of the group. Her hair was braided over her shoulder, woven with flowers and a strange combination of pink and blond that gave it a weird, almost orange coloration. Her eyes were a gentle pink color, large and round in her face. (Much like Midnight’s. Ruby said he didn’t have any family left but maybe they were distantly related? Except the wings were way different.) “How exactly can you offer help? Your people have made their opinion of us pretty clear.”</p><p>Cerise offered an apologetic smile, folding her butterfly wings down, the reds, pinks, and purples looking like a cloak behind her. “They were wrong. That was what destroyed the village. Midnight’s father was a full-size. Like you.” Qrow still wondered how that had worked. “The fairies of the village didn’t approve the relationship. They especially didn’t approve of Midnight’s birth. Stella and Coal were trying to make it work- they loved each other- but the villagers were working against them. There was constant fighting and misery. It’s why Midnight bonded to you so fast. As much as his parents loved him, the bond was weak because they didn’t devote enough time to him. They were too busy fighting the villagers and each other. Coal wanted to leave the village and find somewhere new to start over. Stella accused him of trying to take her away from her family. Honestly his plan would have saved their family and probably the village but…” She shrugged, staring off sadly for a moment. He wondered who in the village she’d lost. There had to have been some connection between the two for them to notice the loss. A delicate hand waved through the air, as if she were physically shooing the memories away. </p><p>“In any case I went back to Ozpin’s castle to ask more questions. As long as Midnight is being cared for I don’t care who does it. His father was full-size, there’s no reason you can’t take care of him if you are resourceful enough and you obviously are. He mentioned you are also a merman, so you will understand this. Your kind can kiss the ability to breathe underwater to others if what I’ve read is correct. The duration of that ability depends on what you decide to gift to them. Well, fairies can gift full-sizes with the ability to shrink to our size. We can take full-size though we’re still small in comparison, just like you can live on land, but the gift is meant to bring us closer to those that matter to us and allow them to live in our world as we can live in thier’s. I would like to bestow that gift to your family so that you may better understand him.”</p><p>Qrow blinked down at the small woman who just a second ago could have fit on his hand. She was right, she was still small, maybe just over five foot tall, but still big enough to pass as human if she didn’t still have the wings. “I accept for myself but I can’t accept for the others. I’ll have to ask them.”</p><p>“That’s fine. If you don’t mind I’ll stay in the area for a couple days so they don’t have to decide right away.” She stepped back and suddenly he was looking down at the fairy on his railing again. It was a neat trick and he was looking forward to being able to actually hold Midnight in his arms instead of his hand. He hadn’t known that was something fairies could gift but he should have guessed. Gods, this was going to make so many things so much easier. Before she left though, he had one last question.</p><p>“Do you guys know what his father was?”</p><p>Cerise looked back at him and shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, none of us ever asked and he never made it obvious to us. I’ll be back in three days, I need to gather some things from my home. I can gift you then. And the others if they decide on it. If they need more time then I will wait.” Giving a small bow the flared out her wings and fluttered off.</p><p>He watched her go, wondering if he should write down some questions to ask that he may need answers to so he could ensure he was taking proper care of Midnight. He’d bring it up to Clover and Tai later, when he told them about her offer.</p><p>~</p><p>Qrow couldn’t stop smiling as he held the wide eyed infant in his arms. Midnight looked confused but excited that he was small like him. Ruby and Yang were bounding around him, excited to play in the fairy space they’d made for their cousin with him in the house. Clover and Tai looked like they were struggling to adjust to the sudden difference. Given the sheer size of their natural forms, it made sense that they would have the most difficulty adapting. Maybe now that they could shift down to his size they would be able to teach him to shift up to their’s so that they wouldn’t worry quite so much about him being accidentally harmed. </p><p>Despite the two girls eagerly pressing close because they wanted to play with Midnight, Qrow continued to hold and adore him for several more minutes. He finally turned the small boy over to his cousins so he could sit down, his back aching sharply. (Clover glanced over at him but he waved his mate off for now. The naga would insist on pampering him after Tai and the girls went home and Midnight was put to bed.) He wasn’t due for a couple more months but the twins were restless often. Taking a seat in one of the chairs they’d set out he picked up a couple of books to start flipping through for information. The two alphas joined the children to play and Qrow spared a smile before he curled up as best his stomach would allow and started reading. With any luck there would be information on Coal in one of them and they would get a better idea of what Midnight might need as he grew up.</p><p>~</p><p>Tai looked down at the little bakeneko and doppelganger that had been rescued from the satyr. Ozpin had requested that he keep an eye on the two small girls while their parents made the trip to deal with the kidnapper and retrieve their daughters. He understood why, of course. They had been stolen from their home and dragged across the world, safe as the castle was they were already scared. The ancient wizard was hoping that Yang and Ruby would be able to help keep the two calm while they waited. (He just wished the timing was better. Qrow was due any day now and he wanted to be there for his brother when the labor started.) His daughters were standing slightly behind him, peeking around his legs curiously. He gave them both a gentle nudge to get them in front.</p><p>“Hello. My name is Taiyang and these are my daughters Yang and Ruby. Ozpin asked us to keep you company while your parents make the trip to come get you.” The girls gave friendly waves, carefully approaching the two guests. </p><p>The bakeneko’s gold eyes watched their every step, twin tails curling anxiously behind her. The doppelganger's skin shifted nervously as they got closer. The dragon kept back, trusting his daughters to handle the situation while he kept an eye on the four. The feline, Blake, seemed about the same age as Yang while the shifter, Ilia, seemed just a touch younger, though not as Ruby. The four seemed to be warming up to each other quickly, his girls were telling the other two about Midnight and the other two girls seemed excited to meet him. They’d never seen a fairy before. Before he’d had the chance to say anything about the matter, Ruby had darted off to Clover and Qrow’s house, intent on asking them all over to visit and play. Shaking his head at her, Tai turned to go to the kitchen. If they were going to have guests he’d need to make plans for dinner. Hopefully they would be fine with whatever he could scrounge together. (He really needed to go shopping but he’d been busy keeping Clover calm.)</p><p>The other alpha walked into the kitchen as if Tai had summoned him and he could faintly hear Qrow’s voice in the living room, probably giving the new girls instructions on how to be careful with the fairy. “How are you guys holding up?”</p><p>“The twins are bruising him up a bit. He made the joke that they’re as impatient as he is and are trying to break out the wrong way.” Clover laughed but there were lines of stress creasing his face.</p><p>The blond paused his gathering to place a comforting hand on the brunette’s shoulder, understanding what he was going through. He’d been through it twice himself after all. Truly there was little he could do but be there for them and help relieve any stress he could take off of them. The naga gripped the hand thankfully, moving out from under to help start making dinner for them all. Tai paused dinner long enough to take drinks out, giving Clover a comforting pat on his back on the way, and stopped in the doorway. Sighing, he set the drinks down on the table and nudged Zwei off of the sleeping Qrow, who’d curled up on the couch. He pulled a blanket off the back and covered his brother with it, going to stick his head in the playroom to let the kids know about the drinks waiting for them. (Ruby had shrunk down to Midnight’s size while Yang stayed as she was, both Blake and Ilia were cooing over the fairy before he interrupted.) </p><p>“Dinner will be ready in an hour or so. Have fun and be careful.” After all the girls had promised he went back to the kitchen to resume his work, giving Clover the easy jobs so that he wouldn’t have to worry or think too much about his tasks. He wondered if the girls’ parents would mind if they stayed in contact. It seemed his daughters were getting attached… </p><p>~</p><p>Qrow sank into the bed at the bottom of his lake, his family hovering nearby and two full cradles next to him. Clover had brought the others once the mer had rested after the labor so they could meet the twins. Yang whipped out her scroll to call Blake as soon as the labor pains started, so the Belladonnas (and that apparently included Ilia, no one had told them she’d been adopted by them when they were staying at Patch) would be waiting on news of the boys as well. He fully expected they would be visiting in a month or two to see them personally. Taiyang had notified Rosie, which was not a job Qrow envied him for. At least the nagas weren’t invading Patch to see the newborns. (They hadn’t gone back after the incident with Midnight and Daisy, though they had allowed a few to come visit them. Daisy had not been invited.) </p><p>Midnight was leaning out of his father’s arms (he’d grown to full-size so he could see better) at his two new siblings. They had dark hair like him and his mom but he couldn’t see their eyes. One of them (the bigger boy of the two) had a long black tail with teal markings similar to their dad’s tail and the other had a purple tail with fins like their mom. Uncle Tai was standing behind his cousins, both of whom were standing over the infants holding each other’s hands. </p><p>“What are their names?” The dragon smiled down at them, overjoyed to see his brother starting his own family. He hoped they could hold it together better than he had. (He couldn’t think like that, Qrow hated when he thought like that.)</p><p>“Kumori is the naga and the merman…” Qrow shared a smile with Clover, turning to look at his nieces. “is named Rook.”</p><p>The girls let out a whoop of excitement, bounding around in the water at learning their uncles had used the name they’d given years ago. The adults watched the excited children, Midnight wiggling his wings happily, even if he only knew part of why his cousins were swimming everywhere. Tai watched it all, saw Clover lean down to give Qrow a tender kiss and pass the fairy over for holding. He committed it all to memory and tried to ignore the ache of what was missing, of who wasn’t with them to share in this joy that should be. He tried to smile and laugh for his family. He <i>did</i> smile and laugh for his family. But the hollow ache persisted. He wished it would just go away. But it probably never would, so he pretended it wasn’t there and accepted his nephew when Rook was held out, gently caressing the stubby little tail and tapping the little nose. He acted like he was fine as he traded for Kumori and felt the soft scales as the small tail wrapped around his forearm. </p><p><i>It’s fine.</i> He told himself later that night when he went home with his girls. <i>This is fine.</i> He chanted as he tucked them into bed. <i>We’re all going to be fine.</i> He hoped to believe it someday. But as he crawled into an empty bed and fell asleep alone, he knew it was all a lie.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>...<br/>God damn it Tai. This was supposed to be a happy ending with the kids being born...</p><p>Discord: SykoShadowRose #2535</p><p>Feel free to message me if you'd like to talk.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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